Vestibule diaphragm securing device



April 2, 1955 E. F. NELSEN 2,705,923

VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM SECUR ING DEVICE Filed June 14, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTOR.

$5 72 4 Wzm April 12, 1955 E. F. NELSEN 5, 3

VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM SECURING DEVICE iled June 14, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2IN V EN TOR.

054" 9. Wdim I United States Patent VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM SECURING DEVICEEinar F. Nelsen, West Allis, Wis.

Application June 14, 1952, Serial N 293,610

2 Claims. (Cl. 105-20) This invention relates to vestibule diaphragmsfor railway passenger cars, and has for its principal object to hold thelower, intermediate portions at each side in proper relation to the footplates to maintain the passageway closed.

Generally speaking, this is accomplished by providing brackets at eachside of the intermediate portion of the diaphragm hooking beneath thefoot plates to hold the diaphragm down, and connected together to holdthe diaphragm sides against objectionable bulging.

In the drawings showing the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a fragment of a vestibule end of a passengercar, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the hooked bracket and its relationto the vestibule and the foot plates; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the hooked brackets.

But these diagrammatic drawings and the corresponding description areused for the purpose of disclosure only, and are not intended to imposeunnecessary limitations on the claims.

In the drawings, there is shown a familiar folded or pleated, flexiblevestibule diaphragm 10 extending between the vestibule posts 11 and theside legs 12 of an arched face plate connected at their lower ends to abuffer plate 13 carried by side and center stems 14 and The buffer plate13 is equipped with a bufler foot plate 16 running under and lapping thevestibule platform or foot plate 17 to form a tread for the vestibulepassageway. The means for supporting the vestibule and its face plateare familiar, as is also the yielding as the cars move along the trackabout curves, etc.

The diaphragms are necessarily quite flexible in order to accommodatethe necessary movement of the face plates with respect to the car.

Bulging outwardly or toward the side of the car is unobjectionableexcept near the foot plates, where bulging results in openings betweenthe bottom of the vestibule legs and the foot plates or platform,through which air, dust, snow, etc., pass.

To prevent the objectionable bulging and to insure constant closurebetween the bottom of the vestibule and the tread plates, this inventionprovides each side of the vestibule with hooked brackets, generallyindicated by B, riveted or otherwise secured to the vestibule diaphragmat 18 and booking around the overlapping edges of the plates 16 and 17,as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 3.

2,705,923 Patented Apr. 12, 1955 The hooked brackets B at each side arecross-connected by a spring or springs 19 and tie rods 20 (Figs. 1-3),which insure that the legs of the vestibule on opposite s des of thepassageway are kept within proper limits for t1ght closure adjacent tothe foot plates.

According to this preferred embodiment, the hooked brackets are providedwith channels 21 which receive pleats or folds 22 on the vestibulediaphragm, to which they are secured by the rivets 18. The bracketstaper as indicated at 23 and turn into inwardly directed books 24, asbest shown in the drawings.

Preferably as indicated, the brackets are made of sheet metal, cut orstamped out substantially as shown.

The overlapping foot plates 16 and 17 are here provided with a rubbermat 25 on the order of A" thick, secured at the vestibule door orthereabouts, and overlying the foot plates to provide a non-slip walk.

I claim:

1. In a vestibule diaphragm assembly for railway cars or the like of thetype including a face plate resiliently supported a given distance fromthe car end, a collapsible, vertically pleated diaphragm extendingbetween said face plate and the car end, and overlapping foot platesproviding a floor for said assembly, with the bottom margin of thediaphragm positioned above said foot plates and in close proximitythereto, the combination therewith of means for maintaining said bottommargin continuously in close sealing contact with said foot plates, saidmeans comprising a bracket secured to an intermediate portion of thediaphragm adjacent its lower margin and having a hooked portion of saidbracket extending outwardly around said foot plates and then inwardlyand under said foot plates and in firm contact with the under face ofsaid foot plates to thereby hold the diaphragm ilill sealing engagementwith the upper face of said foot p ates.

2. In a vestibule diaphragm assembly for railway cars or the like of thetype including a face plate resiliently supported a given distance fromthe car end, a collapsible, vertically pleated diaphragm extendingbetween said face plate and the car end, and overlapping foot platesproviding a floor for said assembly, with the bottom margin of thediaphragm positioned above said foot plates and in close proximitythereto, the combination therewith of means for maintaining said bottommargin continuously in close sealing contact with said foot plates andfor resiliently resisting outward bulging of the lower portion of saiddiaphragm, said means comprising a bracket secured to an intermediateportion of the diaphragm adjacent its lower margin and having a hookedportion of said bracket extending outwardly around said foot plates andthen inwardly and under said foot plates and in firm contact with theunder face of said foot plates to thereby hold the diaphragm in sealingengagement with the upper face of said foot plates, and spring meansbiasing said bracket toward the center line of the car.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,264,470 Bugatti Dec. 2, 1941 2,385,138 Keller Sept. 18, 1945 FOREIGNPATENTS 455,382 France July 29, 1913

